Pre budget report.Bus passes and prescriptions

I_luv_cats

I think (a man) somebody took the Government to court re Bus Passes / Winter Fuel etc. so "Men" receive the same as "women" @ 60 years old.

seven-day-weekend

EdInvestor wrote: »

Gosh, big potential difference.Class 2 self employed contributions in the UK are only about £10 a month.Plus there's class 4 on top based on profits, which IIRC kicks in at around the £5k p.a. level, under that you pay nothing.

Do you know how the situation works in Europe regarding married women, 7DW? It would be interesting to compare,especially given the changes coming up next year and the much maligned married women's stamp.

Not really. I do know if a WOMAN HAS PAID 'STAMP' IN HER OWN RIGHT SHE GETS A pENSION SAME AS IN THE uk. (Whoops, sorry about Capitals!)

I don't know what happens if a married woman hasn't paid anything. I do have a friend (a Spanish citizen, although she is Dutch-born) who is registered unemployed and I think she has her 'stamp' credited, although all unemployed have to do 13 weeks authorised voluntary work every couple of years to keep their Benefit.

I'll see if I can find out and come back to you.

Doc_N

EdInvestor wrote: »

No it isn't.I wouldn't rely on your - or other people's - ignorance of the facts as a guideline to Government policies.

In view of the season, 'Oh yes it is'. I'm not sure of the point you're trying to make here, but what facts do you mean? It's a fact that there has never been any kind of government statement on this issue prior to the report, and it's a fact that the Chancellor's speech made no reference to the change. Do you see that as transparent?

seven-day-weekend

I think the point we are trying to make is that these particular Benefits have ALWAYS been linked to womens' State Pension age, - so why should it come as a surprise that the age for receiving them should change as the retiremnet age does? Seems perfectly obvious to me, anyway.

EdInvestor

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/equalisation-state-pension-age.pdf

See 2.1 - 2.2

twizzel

EdInvestor wrote: »

Ironic isn't it how men never question the arrival of all these freebies for retired people even though they are not retired, yet start to whinge about unfairness when they are gradually subject to female pension equalisation?:rolleyes::rolleyes:

I assume you meant to say "some men".

pollypenny

OH and I have commented many times (me on here) about the daft idea of paying winter fuel allowance to all who reach the age of 60. OH got it when we both earned good salaries.

ceridwen

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

And the problem is......?

These benefits have always been in line with womens' State Pension age. This is rising gradually to 65. This has been known about for at least a decade.

So it has not been exactly 'hidden away'.

Oh yes it has - been hidden away that is.

I've known for years that my State Pension wont turn up at 60 when due - as my State Pension Age has been raised.:eek:

I DID NOT know that the ******* also planned on raising the age at which I can get other "bits and bobs" - like my free buspass/prescriptions/winter fuel allowance/etc. As far as I've ever read they only mentioned the "State Pension and SERPS" - and no word has ever been said that I am aware of the "other bits and bobs" also being cut like this.

:mad: - goes off to calculate just how much MORE I need in the way of savings to compensate for that cut in my "social wage":mad: - at a quick guess it means I need a 4 figure amount extra in said savings. Just where the heck am I supposed to get all that savings from on my sort of salary? (serious question here):mad:

seven-day-weekend

ceridwen wrote: »

Oh yes it has - been hidden away that is.

I've known for years that my State Pension wont turn up at 60 when due - as my State Pension Age has been raised.:eek:

I DID NOT know that the ******* also planned on raising the age at which I can get other "bits and bobs" - like my free buspass/prescriptions/winter fuel allowance/etc. As far as I've ever read they only mentioned the "State Pension and SERPS" - and no word has ever been said that I am aware of the "other bits and bobs" also being cut like this.

:mad: - goes off to calculate just how much MORE I need in the way of savings to compensate for that cut in my "social wage":mad: - at a quick guess it means I need a 4 figure amount extra in said savings. Just where the heck am I supposed to get all that savings from on my sort of salary? (serious question here):mad:

But as these things have always been linked to women's retirement age, I would have thought that it was obvious that as the age for receiving Pension changed, that the age for receiving these other things would change alongside it.

At the age of 60, you will still be of working age....so why should you get Benefits linked to the Retirement Pension??

ceridwen

EdInvestor wrote: »

This also applies to pension credit and all other benefits where men currently benefit from EU laws which ban gender discrimination. Without those laws, they would not be eligible for any of the benefits till they reached male state retirement age of 65.

Under the new rules coming in next year, men will further benefit as they will be able to claim a state pension based on their wife's contributions, as women can do now based on their husband's record, even if they haven't paid any NI themselves.

..and thats another point. What about the "bits and bobs" called "Pension Credit"? What will happen about that? Will that still turn up when due - ie at 60? No-one specifically mentioned that either.

I think that both men and women get Pension Credit (if applicable) at 60 - so I presume thats safe - as the whole excuse for raising womens State Pension Age was in order to equalise it with mens. Since that age is equal anyway they dont have that excuse - so can anyone tell us if that has been left safely alone?